This invention arose from dissatisfaction with hand-fired heating stoves capable of burning coal, wood, and other solid fuels. Coal fires require a grate elevated over an ash pit and some way of occasionally separating the ashes from the burning coals or else the ashes will smother the fire. For this reason, coal grates have used movable fingers that can be shaken to dislodge ashes that fall through the grate. Shaker grate elements occasionally jam and become immovable, however. This makes the fire go out and requires manually dislodging the obstruction after the grate has cooled.
In solving the problems of a movable element coal grate, I have devised several improvements for a hand-fired, solid fuel stove. By a new combination of features, my stove makes it easy and convenient to dislodge ashes from the fuel bed. It is also easy to fuel the fire and remove the ashes that fall through the grate. My stove evenly distributes combustion air throughout a large central region of the fuel bed, and it tends to keep fuel logs juxtaposed and burning, even as they reduce in size. My stove accomplishes these advantages and more with a simple, rugged, and economical construction affording an efficient, convenient, and trouble-free stove.